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Limbaugh, Beck and Hannity's syndicator and staged calls

M

MikeShannon914

Guest
Wow, and Premiere (Clear Channel subsidary that syndicates Limbaugh/Hannity/Beck) actually defends such a practice AND makes it available to their shows:

From Radiodailynews.com

"Some of the people who phone in to talk radio shows (that caller with the pitch-perfect rant, provocative comment or burning question) may actually be actors hired by Premiere On Call reading from scripts - Michael Harrison, the editor of Talkers Magazine said he knew nothing of this particular service but was not altogether surprised to hear that it was in place -"Premiere On Call is our new custom caller service... We supply voice talent to take/make your on-air calls, improvise your scenes or deliver your scripts. Using our simple online booking tool, specify the kind of voice you need, and we'll get your the right person fast. Unless you request it, you won't hear that same voice again for at least two months, ensuring the authenticity of your programming for avid listeners" - Rachel Nelson, a Premiere Radio Networks spokesperson, defended the Premiere on Call service and said that responsibility for how it is employed falls ultimately to those who use it."
 
Nothing new. All pay to play shows salt the lines when they want to push people to call.

Obviously, you'd hope that talented syndicated hosts wouldn't have to do that, but in the end you still get enough "regular callers" to make it through a show.

Heck, I'd rather hear a rehearsed question that has an actual point or can banter back and forth instead of a call from Frank in Ft. Worth where he spends 2 minutes thanking the host for taking the call, prasing how much he enjoys the show, stumbles through a simple question with a bunch of "uhhs & umms", before he hangs up to "listen to the reply."
 
If true, this is clearly the most pathological, idiotic program management decision ever perpetrated on Radio's much-abused listening audience. 

A practice like this is clearly as bad, or more likely worse than the Left-Stream Media's manipulation of News to fraudulently further their agenda.

If you want an expert opinion, get an expert.  If you can't handle "Frank in Ft. Worth['s]" imperfect On-Air delivery of his part in the Talk Radio paradigm...Perhaps Premier Radio needs more capable hosts.  Again, if true, they already need more capable programmers and producers.

Jon-David Wells
The Wells Report
NewsTalk 660 KSKY
Dallas, Ft. Worth, TX 
 
DFW_Radio_2000 said:
...instead of a call from Frank in Ft. Worth where he spends 2 minutes thanking the host for taking the call, prasing how much he
enjoys the show, stumbles through a simple question with a bunch of "uhhs & umms", before he hangs up to "listen to the reply."
Click to expand...

Exactamente, at least as it applies to incessant "brown-nosing" by callers.

If I was good (or bad) enough to have a radio talk show, those would be among my
ground rules:

Do NOT say "thanks for taking my call." If I didn't want to, you'd never get past the
call screener.

Don't say "how's it going" or ask me how I am. I don't care how you are. Don't tell
me you enjoy the show, and none of that "long-time listener, first-time caller" crap.

And turn your radio OFF--listen through the phone!

Any violations of the above and you get bounced--immediately.
 
"Left-stream media?"

You do understand that all this stuff is "opinions", right, Jon?

There is an extremely minute amount of non-partisan talk radio presented.

The fact that you don't like it doesn't negate it in any way. Sorry.
 
I'm not surprised that such a service exists, though I would be very surprised if it was used by Limbaugh, Beck or Hannity.

As far as Premiere saying its available to their own talent, why wouldn't they say that? If they said it wasn't, that would probably taint the service in the eyes of potential buyers. I suspect the big national talk shows have no trouble finding good callers the old fashioned way.

If I had to guess, this service probably caters more to the Kidd Kraddick type shows than Limbaugh. Someone rings in with a ridiculous premise, then the host and real callers chat about it for half an hour. I've worked at several stations where the morning show producer had a rolodex full of "ringers" to set up bits. Premiere has apparently just made it possible to get pre-screened, qualified ringers on barter.
 
?.....radio is supposed to be "theatre of the mind".....you are surprised that phone calls are faked?....really?.....kinda sucks to see behind the curtain, I guess!
 
I had put out an ad on All Access some years ago looking for radio and affiliate sales. I think it was around 2001-2002. After a few days, I got a call from a lady interested in the ad.

She said that she had once been an Affiliate Sales rep for Kim Komando!

She had confided in me some interesting tidbits about her. How much she gets to speak at COMDEX, how affiliates sales worked among others.

What really caught my attention was the call screening process. She said that people call the show line and get a recording. It tells them to leave a message with their info (Name, where from, station listening to, etc) and what their tech question was. The staff would then listen to them and contact the caller if they wanted them on the show. Kim was then able to not only screen calls this way but could research an issue and look good on air. It kept throwing of curve balls to a minimum.

Now I don't know how true this is but it does not surprise me. If I get a call I do not have an answer to I rely on listeners to call in if they know. Many times the answer is in the chat room. If I don't know the answer I tell them we will research it and email them the answer and follow up on the air next week as well.

This practice is common on talk shows in London. They announce a show in advance, who the guest is and the time. They then tell them to call a number at a certain time and leave a message. If they want you they call back and have you call a number to be lined up on the air.

Its done this way due to libel laws that they have. The BBC and then 1090 Talk were big on this.

I think if you can't take the calls naturally then don't be a talk show host.

I guess this now also explains why no one can ever get on Limbaugh so easily! ;D

-BGH
 
^ i`m laughing outloud at that one.

i really like that show but thats because i know it for what it is.i`m listening to him right now and it is hystarical.
 
"Left-stream media?"
You do understand that all this stuff is "opinions", right, Jon?
There is an extremely minute amount of non-partisan talk radio presented.
The fact that you don't like it doesn't negate it in any way. Sorry. "

My reference to the Left-Stream Media, was only to correlate the "cherry-picking" of News to suit the Left agenda with the foolishness involved in setting up anything on Right-Wing Talk Radio....

The point being; Right-Wing Talk Radio certainly can't complain about the manipulation of the News from the Left, if they are manipulating the debate about it on the Right.

J-D
TWR
 
OHTBGH said:
What really caught my attention was the call screening process. She said that people call the show line and get a recording. It tells them to leave a message with their info (Name, where from, station listening to, etc) and what their tech question was. The staff would then listen to them and contact the caller if they wanted them on the show. Kim was then able to not only screen calls this way but could research an issue and look good on air. It kept throwing of curve balls to a minimum.

Now I don't know how true this is but it does not surprise me. If I get a call I do not have an answer to I rely on listeners to call in if they know. Many times the answer is in the chat room. If I don't know the answer I tell them we will research it and email them the answer and follow up on the air next week as well.

This practice is common on talk shows in London. They announce a show in advance, who the guest is and the time. They then tell them to call a number at a certain time and leave a message. If they want you they call back and have you call a number to be lined up on the air.

Its done this way due to libel laws that they have. The BBC and then 1090 Talk were big on this.

I think if you can't take the calls naturally then don't be a talk show host.

I guess this now also explains why no one can ever get on Limbaugh so easily! ;D

-BGH
Click to expand...

That is how NPR's "Car Talk" is done, WBUR records the show on Wednesdays.
 
More wishful thinking from the left. Notice the original quote from Radiodaily.com says nothing about Rush, Sean or Beck. Or talk radio for that matter. The call service exists, but it's for morning zoo type shows, not news-talk Premier has stated that none of their talk show hosts use it, and I doubt if any of the others do.

Phil Hendrie may use that sort of thing. I haven't heard him in years, but I know he used to do comedy routines with fake callers. But I thought he and his own people did all the voices. But he did a totally different type show from Rush, Sean or Beck.
 
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